


Vicarious Affliction

by semioticdaydream



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: But Mostly Comfort, Emotions, Empath, First Kiss, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Avengers (2012), Stark Tower, Steve Rogers and the 21st Century, mention of canonical death (howard stark)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:41:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29282424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/semioticdaydream/pseuds/semioticdaydream
Summary: A newly-thawed super soldier is sitting on Tony's couch. He's grieving, in immense pain, needs a lot of help.Far be it from Tony to shirk away from pain.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16
Collections: POTS (18+) Stony Stocking 2020





	Vicarious Affliction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Feles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feles/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [Feles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feles/pseuds/Feles) in the [stony_stocking_2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/stony_stocking_2020) collection. 



> In writing this, I let Tony's empathic disposition be a big exaggerated. When you're Tony Stark, go big or go home, right? ;)  
> Anyway I had fun writing this, and I hope you enjoy!  
>  **Prompt:**  
>  Tony is secretly an empath. When Steve is recovered from the ice, Tony feels a great sense of displacement, shock and grief, and goes to find out where it came from. He brings Steve to Stark Tower and helps him acclimatize to the 21st century.  
> 

“Are you cold?”

“What?”

“You keep asking your AI to increase the temperature.”

“No. I mean yeah. It’s a bit chilly.”

“You just increased it to 82 degrees.”

“Oh, too hot? JARVIS, drop the temp.”

“As you wish Sir.”

“Better?”

An apathetic shrug was the only answer he would receive. 

Tony stood before a freshly-thawed Captain America in a vacant common room of Stark Tower. Seven hours ago, Tony had woken from the dead of sleep, overcome by profound grief and loneliness unlike anything he’d ever felt before. It didn’t take long to find the source of his pain, and even less time for his silver tongue to convince Fury to release the super soldier to him. 

And now, Steve sat tensely on the edge of an oversized couch, eyes darting around to observe every stimulus. His expression was neutral, but Tony knew there was immense suffering hiding behind his furtive eyes. 

“So, you’re Howard’s son?” Tony nodded in response to the question, concealing the sharp twinge in his heart. “But he already passed.”

“Twenty years ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No need to be. Although, my condolences to you.”

It was awkward, offering comfort to Captain America over his dad’s death. The moment passed quickly when a jet zoomed past the window, catching Steve’s attention. Tony felt overwhelmed by the flash of movement and the soft sound the jet emitted. Logically, he knew it was an occurrence he’d experienced a million times. But his whole body jumped, rattled by something that now felt completely foreign. He felt the temperature dropping, too, as a sudden chill ran through his body. 

“You seem uncomfortable.” Steve observed. 

“Are _you_ uncomfortable?” Tony deflected. 

“I, no, maybe? Honestly, I’m not really sure how to feel.”

“Ok, let me bring us back to the beginning, and tell you again what you can expect.” He paused and waited for Steve to nod, indicating for him to continue. “I just wanna help you adjust. You’ve been through a hell of a lot, and it’s gonna take time to get used to it. You’re safe here, and I can help you.”

He felt some of Steve’s tension ease. Tony was slowly building trust. But then he felt the sadness return, and it blindsided him. 

“Do you want to talk about it? What you’re going through? I know you’ve lost so much.”

“No.” Steve replied abruptly. “I’m fine.”

“Alright, wonderboy, I’m not very convinced,” Tony prodded. 

“Mr. Stark. Uh, I mean, _Tony_. When I put the plane down, I accepted my fate, no matter the outcome. I'm alive, so, I should be grateful. I’m just fine.”

Tony felt flashes of love and warmth only for them to quickly fade away, replaced by abject desolation. It was so crippling he had difficulty taking a breath.

“But, you’re not grateful, are you? You don’t have to lie. If you don’t want to talk, that’s fine. But you don’t have to hide it from me.”

Steve dropped his head, and Tony felt the embarrassment before Steve’s neck glowed pink. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lied. It’s just...it’s hard to talk about. I’ll be ok.”

“I know you will. That’s not the point.” He drew nearer to the super soldier, feeling a compulsion to give his shoulder a firm squeeze, maybe wrap his arms around him, bring him into the comfort of a hug. How long had it been since Steve had been hugged?

“Why am I here?” Steve mumbled before Tony could make a move. 

“SHIELD felt you’d adjust best with some exposure therapy. I’ve got the best cutting-edge tech, considering that I make most of it myself. I can teach you all you need to know to be a savvy nonagenarian thriving in the twenty-first century.” Not to mention the other asset he possessed that SHIELD wasn’t aware of. He was secretively confident his empathic aptitude would be immeasurably helpful in Steve’s recovery. 

Steve studied Tony. Clearly he wasn’t convinced. 

“I heard those agents talking. They said there was no way you could have known about me yet. Why am I _here_?” He was building trust, but Steve was still sharp enough to know Tony wasn’t being entirely forthcoming. If he wanted to keep building upon the little they had, he knew he would have to be more honest about himself. 

“I had to help. I just wanted to keep you safe.” He spoke with decisive confidence, hoping his display might be enough to sway Steve from the subject. Sadly, it didn’t do the trick.

“How did you know I wasn’t safe?” Steve looked up to him now, bright blue eyes imploring for more.

“I felt pain, and I couldn’t _not_ help. That’s why I do what I do. Iron Man and all. Help others, the hero gig. But, you know, I’ve never felt it this bad before.” While it was obvious that SHIELD was ill-equipped to handle this situation, when Tony insisted on intervening of course he hadn’t considered the effects of acclimating Steve to his new life to be so personally impactful. Even so, it didn’t deter him. “I wonder if the serum has something to do with it.”

“The serum?” Steve’s face screwed up. “What do you feel?”

The air was thick. In his mind, Tony’s apprehension was competing with Steve’s confusion. It was getting loud, overwhelming in his head. The only way out was to take a leap of faith, and Tony was willing to jump. 

“I feel things. Things I can’t explain. Emotions. Other people’s feelings, good and bad and everything in between. But with you...I could feel it from hundreds of miles away when they were still thawing you from your DIY cryogenic cube.” Tony hesitated, for a moment worried he’d already said too much. When he felt a spark of tenderness, he knew it was the push he needed to continue. “I just knew you were in shock, colossal pain, and needed my help. I’ve never told anyone that about myself before.”

Steve’s eyes grew wide and Tony felt an easy sense of awe take the edge off of the collective tension in the room. He felt drawn to Steve, maybe even safe, and he finally allowed himself to sit next to him.

“So, anyway, I just wonder if your serum has something to do with the extent to which I feel what you’ve experienced. I would have hypothesized that it would lessen the psychological effects of the trauma you’ve endured, since I know you heal physically at an incredible rate. I guess it doesn’t extend to the mind.”

“Or maybe it makes it worse.” Steve let out a heavy sigh. “This is all just so unbelievable. I never would have thought, in the future…” He threw his arms up to gesture to Tony and the space they shared.

“It’s a lot.” Tony supplied pithily.

“Does it make the work you do harder to deal with?” Tony was struck with tenderness again. Steve really seemed invested in Tony’s pain. Which, actually, was Steve’s pain. So maybe it made sense. Or, no, it really didn’t. But either way, Tony was finding himself glad he’d confided in Steve.

“Since no one else knows, I like to keep it that way, keep ‘em all guessing. If people knew, well, I’d imagine it would make things more complicated for me.”

“I didn’t mean about others,” Steve laughed. “I meant for you.”

“Well, I don’t know any different. But I guess, if I’m being _honest_ ,” he gave Steve a taunting look, “yeah, the work is hard. I’m exhausted even consulting on some of the stuff SHIELD throws my way. But then I’m so tired I can’t sleep, and it’s just a vicious cycle. Concurrent insomnia and utter collapse, wrapped up in one perfect package. It’s awesome, I love it.”

Steve smiled, and Tony felt ease again, like they already knew each other in all the ways that mattered. It was a novel sensation, and he just wanted the moment to stretch on forever.

“But seriously, Steve, I think I can help you, if you’ll allow me the chance to try. I’d really like the chance to try.”

“I think I’d like you to try, too.” Steve was looking at Tony now with such focus that his heart started to pound in his chest. That look was so captivating, he started to think the amorous affection rising in his chest had to be deceptive. Surely, Steve couldn’t be feeling such things, not now, not with him.

Steve started to lean in and reach his hand out toward Tony, then hesitated, still searching for something in Tony’s eyes. And it didn’t take anything more for Tony to know he wanted to bridge the gap between them.

Their lips met and it was like a bolt of lightning struck his brain. Every nerve ending was buzzing with bliss, and he was shaky and nervous and the best he’d ever felt in his entire life all at once. He didn’t know if it was how Steve felt or himself, it was all so new and consuming, he wanted more, and he wanted it to never end.

When Tony finally pulled away for respite, Steve dropped his forehead to meet Tony’s. Skin touching, sharing one breath, Tony felt warm and rapturous. A sadness tugged at the back of his mind, but there was hope so blinding it was easy to know he was safe, and so was Steve.

“You ok?” Steve asked in a husky whisper.

“Yeah, incredible. You?”

“I’m fantastic. Just...absolutely fantastic.”

“I think you’re gonna be alright, Steve.”

“I think you’re gonna be alright, too.”

Distantly, Tony wondered if this is what kissing Steve would feel like each time. He already felt their lives were inextricably intertwined, and feeling Steve’s emotions, both pain and joy, was unparalleled. If one conversation and one kiss could bring them both so much ecstasy, he couldn’t wait to experience everything else Steve was willing to share with him, too.


End file.
